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to dust

to dust

83 1.0
To remove small dry particles from a surface by wiping or brushing
  • verb
  • /dʌst/
: desempolvar
  • I need to dust the coffee table before our guests arrive.

What if I tried to dust away the highlight I already have?

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Examples

  • I'll dust off the guns.

  • Now, dust yourself off.

  • Remember to dust it every day.

  • And by the way, you better tell your maid to dust off that record.

  • I'm just going to dust this space here.

  • OK, so I'm just going to dust underneath the eye.

  • I'm just going to dust the excess away.

  • So I'm just going to dust away all this powder.

  • Next I'm going to dust away this powder.

  • Marquette begins to dust the tackle boxes with the sleeve of his flannel shirt.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

to clean
vsto dust
∞ 1.0

To remove dirt and stains

applies specifically to removing fine particles from surfaces by wiping or light tool use
to sweep
vsto dust
107 1.0

To clean a floor or surface by brushing away dirt with a broom

removes fine particles by hand wiping or light tool strokes rather than pushing them away
to mop
vsto dust
71 1.0

To clean a floor with a long handle and wet cloth

focuses on dry removal of fine particles by wiping or light brush strokes
52 1.0

To remove dirt or mud from a surface

is specifically about removing fine particles from surfaces by wiping or light strokes
to wipe away
vsto dust
47 2.0

To remove something from a surface by moving a cloth over it, like tears or dirt

uses both cloth movements and bristled tools rather than only cloth motions
to clear off
vsto dust
24 3.0

Remove things from a surface to make it empty or clean

focuses on removing fine particles from surfaces not removing objects
to shake out
vsto dust
19 2.9

Remove dust and crumbs by shaking something

does the same removal by hand wiping or gentle tool strokes rather than vigorous motion
to sweep the floor
vsto dust
10 1.0

To clean the floor by moving dust and dirt with a broom

is used on many surfaces by hand wiping not only floor cleaning
to vacuum-clean
vsto dust
1 2.1

To clean a carpet or floor with a vacuum cleaner

prefers hand wiping or light tool strokes instead of machine suction
to hoover up
vsto dust
  • UK
1 4.3

To clean a carpet or floor using a vacuum cleaner

relies on hand wiping or light tool strokes rather than machine suction
to brush down
vsto dust
1 2.7

To clean dust and dirt from something using quick movements

focuses on removing fine particles mainly by hand wiping rather than tool lifting
1 4.4

To remove dust from rugs by hitting or shaking them

uses wiping or gentle tool strokes instead of forceful hitting

Idioms

to bite the dust
  • Informal
15 6.8

To stop working or fail completely

7 7.4

To be left far behind by someone in a race or game

To go far ahead of someone in speed or success

in the dust
  • Informal
3 7.1

Far behind others because someone else is much better

2 4.1

A time when things become calm and clear after a big change

to return to dust
  • Literature
1 8.3

To slowly fall apart and disappear over time

1 7.7

Very rare and hard to get

1 9.9

To leave quickly so nobody sees you again

to see for dust
  • Informal
1 9.9

To never see someone again after they leave quickly

To delay action or decisions until things become clearer

Do much better than other companies or teams

End arguments about a decision by giving a clear answer

Leave a place after a bad experience and not return

Phrasal Verbs

22 3.5

Get something ready again after it has not been used

To be completely ruined and lose all value

to collect dust
  • Informal
10 3.7

To stay unused or forgotten and become covered in dust

1 6.4

To leave past problems behind and start again

To collect dust when it is not used

To remove dust from rugs by hitting or shaking them

7.5

To beat others easily by being much faster or better

Compounds

21 2.2

Strong wind that lifts dust and sand into the air and makes it hard to see

19 6.5

A dry area with strong dust storms that ruined farms in the 1930s

12 2.9

A visible cloud of fine dust hanging in the air

10 4.2

Small pieces of gold that you find in rivers or the ground

angel dust
  • NSFW
7 9.9

An illegal drug that makes you see or hear things that are not real

4 6.3

A small spinning column of air that lifts dust and leaves

3 4.1

A removable paper cover that protects a book and shows a picture or information

cosmic dust
  • Specialized
3 6.3

Tiny pieces of rock and gas that float in space between stars

2 3.1

A removable cover, often plastic or cloth, that protects machines like a printer from dust when not in use

2 2.7

Fine powder that appears when someone writes on a blackboard

Tiny particles that fall after a nuclear explosion or accident and give off harmful radiation

2 2.4

A mop with a long handle and a soft dry head that removes dust from floors

2 2.1

Having a thin layer of dust on it

1 3.9

A very fine glitter powder used on skin or crafts to give shine

1 2.0

A bag inside a vacuum cleaner that collects dust and dirt when you clean

dust-collector
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A machine that removes dust from the air in workshops and factories

1 2.7

A paper cover on a book that protects it and shows the title and author

1 2.7

A large cloth used to cover furniture when not in use to protect it from dust

interplanetary dust
  • Specialized
1 7.7

Tiny particles in space that float between the planets

dust contamination
  • Specialized
1 4.6

Small bits of dust that make a surface dirty or unsafe

1 4.7

A long loose piece of clothing you wear over other clothes to protect them from dust

1 7.0

A small ball of dust, hair, and crumbs that collects under furniture

1 5.9

A removable paper cover that protects a book and often has pictures or text

6.9

Very small ice crystals near the ground that sparkle in cold clear weather

A large cloth put over furniture to keep off dust

hell dust
  • NSFW
9.9

A slang word for the illegal drug heroin

How Clean

to clean
∞ 1.0
to wipe
390 1.0
to dust
83 1.0

Surface Forms

dust infinitive
dusted past
dusted past participle
dusting present participle
dusts third person singular

Etymology

Dust (verb 'to clean') later came to mean the opposite action: to remove those small particles by wiping or brushing. That's why when you dust furniture you are taking the dust away.